Wired to Work with Jess Chapman – Details, episodes & analysis

What are some of the biggest challenges that small business owners face as they attempt to build a dream team that can help them scale their business to another level?

On today’s episode of Unlocking Your People, Jess is joined by two incredible women – Ashley Smith of Fundamental Inc and Krystal Hobbs of Reflective Marketing, both of whom share their wisdom and insights around growth and people management.

Both Ashley and Krystal started their businesses as solo entrepreneurs, and were lucky enough to have their friends and former colleagues as their first hires. However, as their businesses grew, they were forced to step out of their comfort zone.

In this episode, Ashley and Krystal share some of their biggest growth challenges. For example, you’ll learn how and why you need to redefine your role within an organization as you grow. You’ll also discover methods for maintaining a good work-life balance, even when your business is in hyper-growth mode.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show:

• How to overcome your hesitation when giving feedback.
• Realigning a founder’s role as an organization scales.
• The biggest challenges small business owners face as they scale their business.
• And so much more…

Resources:

Fundamental Inc.

Reflective Marketing

Podcast

Website

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Whether we realize it or not, we have an impact on the people around us every single day. Every action we take and everything we say or share creates an impact on the people we work with. Understanding this, how do we make sure that we have the impact we want?

What if you could always react in a measured and astute manner?

What if you could work with others in a way that creates a positive impact, no matter how challenging the situation or conversation?

In today’s episode of Unlocking Your People, Jess demonstrates why our intentions and impact can be out of sync. While the majority of people have good intentions, their behaviors and the resulting impact can often be undesirable.

You’ll learn how to develop an approach for communicating with your colleagues and employees that’s both empathetic and logical, avoiding the knee-jerk reactions that result in the kinds of impact you don’t want to make.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show:

• Why, no matter how hard we try, our intentions, and the impact we create, are almost never the same.
• How to avoid regrettable, knee-jerk reactions that can create needless conflict.
• How to facilitate a positive behavioral shift between you and your team.
• And so much more…

Resources:

Podcast

Website

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Have you ever struggled with “fit issues” at your organization? Have you ever been in a company or organization where you felt like the odd one out? It can happen to anyone.  

In this episode of "Unlocking Your People," Jess discusses the issue of "fit" within organizations. Many think that "fit" refers to a candidate's abilities - they possess the right skills and experience to be proficient, or ideally, better than proficient, in a specific role. However, that's only part of the story, as Jess will reveal.

You'll learn about the two distinct types of "fit" - job fit and organizational fit - and why they're both important when determining the suitability of a candidate within your organization.

You'll discover why judging a person's organizational fit can be challenging, resulting in unconscious bias, and inevitably, future-fit issues.

You'll learn why being clear about your organization's values, culture and approach can help better determine a candidate's fit.

You'll also discover the warning signs that you might have a fit issue, such as people challenging you on your approach, or difficulty getting tangible feedback on why you're not advancing.

Whether you’re an employer/candidate going through the recruitment process, or a current employee wondering why your progress seems to have stalled, this episode offers insights that may help make things clearer.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn in This Show:

• The two types of “fit” an organization looks for - job fit and organizational fit.
• Why determining someone's "organizational fit" can often be a challenge to judge and can sometimes lead to unconscious bias.  
• How defining your organization's culture, values, and guiding principles can help to reduce the risk of subjectivity and bias.
• How to identify whether or not you have a fit issue within the organization for which you work.
• And so much more…

Resources:

Podcast

Website

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

As per a recent survey, more than two-thirds of employees would like to receive more feedback. Yet, most employers shy away from giving feedback. And the small percentage of employers that do, do an extremely shoddy job.

On today’s show, we are joined by Operational Excellence Coordinator, Rene as we discuss the best way to give and receive feedback to your employees. 

You will learn WHY an annual performance appraisal is simply not enough. And why this is an ineffective mechanism that results in an extreme lack of clarity. 

Unless you get good at giving (and receiving feedback), your employees will have little idea whether or not they are performing to your expectations.

But, how do I get good at giving negative feedback to my employees? ~ you may ask.

The first thing that you need to do is to state your expectations clearly.  Make no mistake. If you do not do this, the blame falls on you and not your employee for their sub-par performance. 

Next, Jess emphasizes the need to cultivate the right mindset. Organizations need to create an environment where it is safe to give and receive feedback. Using the carrot and stick approach might give you results in the short run but will prove counterproductive over time.

Other topics discussed on today’s show include the importance of building trust and tips for giving feedback in a virtual workspace.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show

• How to give feedback in the virtual world of today
• How setting expectations makes it easier to give feedback
• Why employers need to get better and giving and receiving feedback
• And so much more…

Resources

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

eThree Consulting

Facebook

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How can you better support performance in your organization or team, while equipping your employees with the tools they need to succeed?

On today’s show, Jess shares her ABC framework to help you do exactly that. This ABC framework can help you ensure that you set your people up to succeed. 

You’ll learn about the components that make up the ABC framework, starting with A – which stands for Awareness. Are your people truly AWARE of what is expected of them and do they understand your big WHY? 

From there, we move on to B – which represents Buy-In. What can you do to ensure that your employees are actually motivated to perform?

C stands for Capability. Once your team members have awareness and motivation, they need effective tools and skills to deliver measurable results.

Finally, you’ll discover the final element of the framework: S, which stands for Sustainability. Awareness, buy-in, and capability are key elements for helping your team get great results, but sustainability is only possible when you follow up with your team regularly.

The ABC framework is a simple formula that can make a significant difference in the performance of your team.

What you Will Learn In This Show:

• The ABC framework and how it can help your team achieve measurable and sustainable results.
• Why creating awareness (the ‘A’ of ABC) is a fundamental first step. 
• How to encourage and support employee buy-in.
• How to follow-up with your employees to ensure they maintain their high performance and motivation over time.

Resources:

Podcast

Website

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

See how we can help your team and your people - https://bit.ly/2UIuJYA

On today’s show, Jess speaks to Gina Pecore, CEO of Genoa Design International, who shares her insights on growth, company culture, and consistent HR practices. You’ll also learn why a people-first approach is critical for managing amazing growth. 

Genoa is a production design firm that provides 3D modeling services for the shipbuilding industry and offshore industries.

Back in the early 1990s, Gina’s husband, Leonard Pecore found himself without a job after graduating with a Diploma in Naval Architecture. He decided to kickstart Genoa from his garage out of necessity. What started out as a bootstrap operation has grown into a multi-million-dollar business employing more than 200 people. 

You’ll learn why Gina credits her team as the primary reason for the company’s incredible success. While the first 10 years were spent building a strong foundation, Genoa capitalized on their hard-work over the next decade. 

You’ll discover Gina’s consistent, people-first HR practices and the reasons why these have helped Genoa grow from strength to strength.

As a successful leader managing a multi-million-dollar business, Gina calls out some common mistakes that high-growth businesses make when it comes to people management. In particular, you’ll learn how an intentional and proactive approach can help you prepare you, your business, and your leaders for the future.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show:

• People-first HR practices for high-growth organizations.
• Why defining your company values is so critical for navigating consistently in difficult times.
• Why going up the corporate ladder is not the only method for adding value.
• And so much more…

Resources:

Gina’s Website

Podcast

Website

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

See how we can help your team and your people - https://bit.ly/2UIuJYA  

Most of us can remember learning the "Golden Rule" as kids.

The idea of "doing unto others as you would have them do unto you" carries with it some useful advice on being thoughtful in your interactions with others. However, when it comes to unlocking and empowering others, the Golden Rule may not be the best way forward.

In today's episode of "Unlocking your People," Jess introduces two fundamental concepts that offer a new way to look at interaction in the workplace, especially when your goal is to build an engaged, passionate team who love what they do and where they work.

You'll learn the importance of getting to know your team and their preferences, as well as the "Platinum Rule," a more insightful way of thinking about your interactions with people, especially those that are different from you. 

You'll also discover why we often fail to use useful ideas and strategies, even when we understand their benefits.

Jess provides tangible examples of the concepts of "intention" and "impact," and why the impact of your words or behaviours can often be quite different from the intention behind them. Understanding and validating that intention is key. 

Join Jess as she guides you through these fundamental ideas - concepts that will help you interact with your team in a more positive way, empowering them and unlocking their potential.

What You’ll Learn in this Show:

• The two core concepts that consistently create moments of revelation for people.
• Why the "Golden Rule" we learned as kids may not be the best way forward when unlocking your people.
• Why we often fail to follow through on a strategy or idea, even when we understand the benefits.
• The distinct difference between intention and impact as it relates to your words and behaviors.
• And so much more...

Resources:

Podcast

Website

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

See how we can help your team and your people - https://bit.ly/2UIuJYA 

Businesses run on people and relationships. The better your people perform, the better your organization performs.  But, how do you handle the "tough people stuff" in your business?

Each one of us spent our time in school learning math, science, history, geography, and other fascinating subjects. However, there's one subject that we've really never taught - human interaction.

There's an assumption that, because we're human, we're innately capable of dealing with other humans, no matter the situation, and, unfortunately for all of us, this is simply not true.

In this first episode of "Unlocking Your People," Jess discusses the reasons why this fallacy has such a profound effect on businesses and their teams. She provides some background on her wide-ranging career in areas such as talent management, learning and development, employee engagement, and change leadership.

Through her company, ethree Consulting, Jess draws on her experience to help organizations build teams that are passionate about what they do and where they work.

You'll discover valuable (and most importantly, practical) tips, strategies, and processes that will help you engage your workforce to take ownership.

You'll learn why having unmotivated employees can lead to poor performance as a company, and how you can more easily navigate difficult conversations and situations. 

This podcast is dedicated to anybody who has lost sleep at night over a performance situation or a conversation or giving feedback. Jess’ goal is to provide the resources you need at your fingertips to have the impact you want and unlock your people - in the right way. 

In upcoming episodes of this podcast series, Jess will provide you with practical advice, along with insights from experts in the field, on how you can better manage the "tough people stuff;" to be your best self so that you can unlock everybody else to be their best selves. 

Enjoy!

What You’ll Learn in this Show:

• Jess' background, experience, and expertise spanning ten years and three countries.
• Why it's so vital for a business to have employees who are engaged and feel connected.
• What to expect from the podcast, including tips, advice, and interviews.
• And so much more...

Resources:

Podcast

Website

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

See how we can help your team and your people - https://bit.ly/2UIuJYA

Chris Gardner is the CEO of Sequence Bio and he has some thoughts on diversity, remote working, and conflict management to share with Jess.

Based in Newfoundland, Sequence Bio is a data-driven biotechnology company. They’re doing cutting-edge work, not just in their day-to-day operations, but also in their smart and scientific HR practices.

Jess recently placed a high-ranking executive at Sequence Bio and he was totally blown away by their emphasis on understanding people and psychology. In today’s show, you’ll get a peek into Sequence Bio’s workplace and learn about their best practices.

The first theme touched upon is diversity. When Chris had everyone in his organization take DISC assessments, he was surprised by the diversity he found among his team. He greatly credits this diversity for his team’s spectacular performance. However, he quickly discovered that managing these differences requires both intent and structure.

As an experienced business leader, Chris emphasizes the importance of servant leadership. He reveals that, as CEO, he’s primarily responsible for facilitation and risk mitigation. It is not the CEO’s job to “carry the ball across the line.” Rather, you need to accept your weaknesses and delegate tasks to a team member with the right skillset.

We discuss the importance of creating a safe space for “good” conflicts, along with some nuanced tips for building team culture in a remote environment.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show:

• Things that have helped Chris in his development journey as a CEO.
• The importance of creating safe spaces for “good” conflicts.
• The concept of “servant leadership” and the role of a CEO in an organization.
• Why you need to leverage diversity with intent and structure.
• And so much more…

Resources:

Podcast

Website

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

It's time for another Q&A session!

In this episode of Unlocking Your People, Jess is joined once again by Kendra Lane as they answer questions submitted to them on a wide range of subjects.

You'll learn the benefits of strength-based leadership, as well as methods for determining how to best support an employee - developing their strengths versus building their weaknesses.

Jess and Kendra will explore the concept of diversity in the workplace, including the benefits and challenges. They’ll also reveal how "oil and water" colleagues can learn to work together more effectively.

You'll discover how changing the language around team members’ differences can help build better interactions and understanding.

You'll learn why leaders tend to absorb their employee's problems (their "monkeys") as well as the benefit of giving team members everything they need to solve their own problems before they grow into more serious issues.

You'll also find out how leaders can become better informed about issues affecting their team members, issues that can lead to larger problems such as burnout.

Join Jess and Kendra as they answer pressing questions around unlocking your people!

Enjoy!

What You’ll Learn in this Show:

• How to determine the balance between focusing on an employee's strengths and helping them with their weaknesses.
• How diversity can be both a benefit and a challenge - if certain elements are not in place in your business.
• Changing the language around differences between team members to help foster a positive approach to differences
• Why leaders need to give employees everything they need to solve their own problems, thereby strengthening the team overall.
• How to be better informed as a leader as to struggles your team members may be facing, such as burnout. 
• And so much more...

Resources:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn